Sanctuary
by RavenImperatrix
Summary: After Rose is wounded on another planet, the Doctor and Jack have only one recourse, to visit a mysterious old friend of the Doctor.  Set between the Long Game and Boomtown.
1. Chapter 1

Running through slightly abandoned ruins of an ancient civilization, the trio of travellers keep just ahead of their pursuers.

"Damnit, Doctor! I thought you said this was a peaceful planet!" the square-jawed brunette shouts on the run.

"It was three centuries ago, they shouldn't have evolved into such savages in such a short time," replies the short haired man in the leather coat.

"Just shut up and run!" admonishes the blonde girl just a pace behind the two men.

Following her instructions, they become silent, running a bit faster, heading towards safety.

The aggressive natives continue to follow closely, only the occasional glimpse in the darkness and frightful chuffing sounds indicating their nearness.

At last, a familiar blue box comes into view, the Doctor reaching into a pocket as behind him a grunt and the sound of stumbling feet indicate a change in their predicament. He turns, seeing the young woman fall to the ground as he shouts, "Rose!"

The other man turns, scooping up the light burden and yells, "keep going, Doctor, I've got her."

The Doctor looks back for just a moment, and returns to running to the box, key out and ready to open the door. The lock gives easily, he rushes inside and holds the door for Jack and Rose.

"Take her to the Med-bay," he shouts, closing the door and running to the centre console, flicking switches, pressing buttons and twirling knobs. The rotor begins to rise and fall as the sounds of an agonized brachiosaurus

The natives of Galnark IV come upon the box as it flickers and fades away.

Inside, the Doctor parks the TARDIS in the vortex and rushes to Rose's side.

Jack moves around the bay, Rose laying on an elevated couch, hooked into a medical scanner, tubes piercing her flesh at arm and throat.

"How bad?" queries the Doctor.

"The Med-scan can't seem to find what's wrong, but her vitals are dropping, no matter what I do," a frustrated Jack returns.

The Doctor moves to the scanner, sonic in hand, directing the beam at it's memory circuits, hoping to extend it's abilities.

"Doc, it's not working, she's crashing," Jack shouts.

Mumbling under his breath, the Doctor moves to another machine, pressing a few buttons, "Jack, back away."

Startled and about to argue, he sees the Doctor's stern face and steps away from Rose. A light purple beam encompasses her form, Looking over the read-out's on this new device, the Doctor's shoulders slump in momentary relief.

"Now we have some time."

"What have you done?" Jack asks, his face still worried.

"Placed her in stasis, until we can figure out what exactly is wrong with Rose."

Jack moves to a metal counter with a small tray upon it and passes it over . "Looks like some kind of poison dart."

"The Galnar's were always well versed in medical chemistry, it looks like that hasn't changed." The Doctor examines the data the scanner has provided, a frown forming on his face. "It appears to be some kind of combination of corrosive and neurotoxin with mutagenic tendencies."

"How do we treat that?" Jack asks, aghast.

"I'm not sure, our medical science lagged behind on once we developed regeneration."

"Then who has the science?"

"Besides the Galnar? I have no idea. I'm going to set the TARDIS to search, check the archives in the library, hopefully one of us will come up with something." The Doctor moves away, heading out the door when he's stopped by a question from Jack.

"What do I do?"

"Eat something, get some rest, who knows what we'll have to do next."

"I can't do nothing!"

The Doctor returns to an anguished Jack, placing a hand on his shoulder, "there's nothing you can do right now, but we both might need you later, it wouldn't do to have you drop from exhaustion."

Jack lowers his head, placing a hand on top of the Doctor's and nods his head.

"Good then, I'll let you know what I find out. Go on now," he gently pushes Jack before him, out of the room, following with a quick glance behind.

The Doctor and Jack's trajectories part after a walk down the hallway, Jack towards the kitchen, the Doctor heads deeper into the TARDIS, going straight to the library and his copy of the Gallifreyan Archives. Entering a large room, wall to wall with dark wooden shelves that would not be out of place in a nineteenth century mansion, he heads to a large wooden desk with a small mechanical device of marble and clear crystal, a hole in the centre, four centimetres in diameter.

Opening a drawer and pulling out a large box covered in what appears to be concentric type circles made out in cloisonné, he removes a blue crystal sphere and places it on the device's hole.

Holographic images rise above the device, flickering in front of the Doctor's face, equations, pictures, information downloading at an impossible rate. After a few moments, the images stop, a short grunt escapes the frustrated man as he removes the crystal and chooses another globe, this time a pale green, replaces it,

More information, delivered at a punishing pace, flickers into the Timelord's brain. As this one ceases, he stagers into the chair nearby, rubbing his head. Slumping, he breathes heavily, pulling himself back into some sense of normal.

After a few moments, he lurches out of the chair, back to the box of crystals, returning the green one and taking a moment to decide on which to try next.

It takes an hour to glean through the records, a difficult hour which leaves the Doctor looking haggard and older. Carefully replacing the spheres into the box and placing it back in it's drawer.

Slightly unsteady, he walks down the hallways to the console room, checking their position, and verifying the data from the TARDIS search. Slamming a fist down on the console in frustration, he's startled by Jack's reappearance.

"Nothing?"

"I can't find a cure or treatment, no planet with advanced medicine capable of handling this, this poison," the Doctor states, opening and closing his now aching hand.

"Are you sure, there's nothing we can do, no one we can take her to?" Jack pleads, pacing back and forth.

"Short of going back to the Galnar's, there's nowhere I can think….." his words taper off as he is struck by an idea.

Jack notices and asks excitedly, "what is it? You've thought of something."

The Doctor begins to whirl around the console, pressing buttons for coordinates, flipping switches to move out of the vortex. The rotor begins to rise and fall before the Doctor turns to answer Jack's questions. "There's one daft idea, I'm not sure she can help, but she's all we've got."

"Who?"

"An old friend. Let's get Rose ready," he finishes, moving back inside quickly followed by Jack.

This cobble paved street in Vienna was quiet this time of day, the sun hanging bright in the sky. Down the way, a large four-storey building looms, an unlit sign with a black raven and stylized writing 'Zuflucht'. A two sided door opens, a beautiful woman in a flowing silk gown exits, followed by two strong men. The woman walks south for a few paces and stops, looking further down the street, just waiting. A strong wind picks up, her long loose tresses blowing like a dark shadow about her head, the soft fabric of her royal blue gown flowing about her body showing the lithe and strong form underneath as it undulates.

A wheezing bellowing announces the arrival of the TARDIS as it begins it's materialization routine. The woman and her two men wait patiently, until the noises stop and the door opens.

Both doors open, the Doctor exits, Jack behind him with Rose laid upon a stretcher between them. "Ali, prompt as ever," he announces as he greets the woman before him.

She smiles at the new arrivals, signalling with a wave of her hand for the men behind her to take their burden. "Welcome," she returns, then directs, "take her directly to the infirmary."

Rose, removed from his care, allows Jack to close the doors to the TARDIS, and quickly follow the train of people back towards the building. Closing the distance to the Doctor, he asks, "aren't you going to introduce me?"

The Doctor looks behind him, "Jack Harkness, meet Alexandra Ravenna."

Jack reaches beyond the Doctor with an arm to take her hand, brings it to his lips, Captain Jack Harkness, ma'am."

"Not now, Jack!" the Doctor remonstrates.

"What?" he declares, "I was just saying hello," he defends. He looks up as they enter the building, noticing the sign. "Refuge?"

The woman turns about inside the foyer of the building, couches around the wall and a heavy curtain across he doorway further inside, the men with the stretcher walk through it taking Rose further inside. "Welcome to my home, club and Sanctuary, in the old style. There is only two rules, Harm none while you are within it's environs, and my word is Law." With this she smiles and pulls the curtain aside, beckoning them inside.

Inside is a darkened club, small tables about the place, a dancing floor and elevated stage for performances, immediately parallel to the stage is a large bar. She strides across the room to a door marked 'keep out" and passes through, the two men on her heels.

They enter a well lit hallway, doors on either side and a lift at the end, as well as a turning to the left. She moves purposefully down and turns, pushing open the door to the right. Inside is a well stocked infirmary, two treatment tables in the centre, with bright lights overhead. A curtained area to the left is closed, keeping whatever behind it apart.

Rose lays upon one of the treatment tables, still and quiet, a machine hooked by a tube to her wrist lays between her leg. Jack and the Doctor move to surround Rose as Alexandra heads to an odd machine, pulling her butterfly sleeves behind her and tying the ends into a knot to keep them out of the way.

Her pale arms are well toned and muscled, but with just enough fat to make them womanly. The passes her hands between two plates of the machine, a red light appearing to wave across them, then lavender nitrile gloves appear upon them.

She moves to her patient, gently moving the Doctor out of the way. "What happened?"

"We're were on another planet, Rose was hit by a dart," he pulls a plastic bag out of a pocket and hands it over. "We've tried everything I knew how, but nothing worked. We placed her in stasis and brought her here."

At this the woman opens a drawer inside the table and removes two sensors, placing one on Rose's head and the other upon her upper chest.

She moves to the curtain, brushing it aside with a brisk arm, revealing some unusual equipment. At a sort of microscope, she opens a clear box and carefully places the dart the Doctor handed over to her inside. Sliding it under an sensor, she powers it up and looks through a viewfinder. Pressing some buttons on the instrument, she tries to determine what's before her.

With a grunt, she removes the clear box from the reader, taking it to another machine with the appearance of a microwave oven. Placing it inside, she closes the door and types into a small keyboard on the side. After a moment, there is an odd warble from the machine and a small tape of white paper exit's a slot. Ripping it away, she reads the symbols, "damn this is a mess." She looks to the Doctor and shakes her head, "the trouble you get into."

She returns to her patient, arms crossed and considering.

"Well?" the Doctor asks, worry on his face.

She thinks for a moment, before answering, "this planet doesn't have the treatment…"

"But?" he continues, Jack looking lost beside him.

"There might be one way, as you figured, bringing her here," she looks to Jack and asks, "Could you turn off those lights over there?" she requests, pointing to the switches by the door.

Moving to acquiesce, he flips the switches, plunging the room into not quite darkness, a bit of illumination coming from small lights about the room. He stands there, watching the scene before him as he watches the woman climb upon the treatment table, straddling Rose, and at any other time he'd be excited by this.

Alexandra strips the gloves off and tosses them to the floor, eyes intent on Rose's face as she commands, "as soon as I tell you, remove the stasis and stand back."

She places her left hand over Rose's heart, the right over the wound site and softly speaks, "now."

The Doctor flips a switch on the machine behind her between Rose's legs, and as Rose's faces begins to twist in pain, Alexandra gasps and a silvery glow surrounds her hands.

Rose stills, as Alexandra breathes heavily, strain evident on her face, as an unhealthy colour passes over her. Panting, she continues, an energy crackling about her and through her, the silver light pulsing in time with her heart.

Suddenly the light dims, she gives a cough and carefully moves off her patient, slipping to the floor. Holding on to the table, she quickly checks Rose's vitals, the tiny lights on the head and chest sensors she placed earlier a steady green glow.

Satisfied, she exhales and begins to slump, the Doctor moves quickly behind her, catching her before she hit's the floor. Scooping her up, he carries her to the other table, placing her carefully. He shifts a quick glance to Rose, but sees her breathing evenly, relaxes a bit, before returning his attention to Alexandra.

Jack moves to Rose, placing a hand on her face, checking the reality of her healthy appearance.

An unstable breath from Alexandra and then she clears her voice, the two men look to her as she speaks quietly, "she's going to be fine, she'll sleep for a few hours to recover, but she's well." With this, she stops speaking, pain crossing her face as she winces.

The Doctor moves her long hair away from her neck, and in the same position as it had been on Rose, there is a puncture wound. He turns to Jack, "you might want to watch this," he quietly informs him.

Jack moves to his side, startled as he notices the wound. "What?" he queries.

The Doctor places a finger over his lips to silence Jack, and then points to the woman on the table.

Eyes shut, brow wrinkled in concentration as she breathes harshly, her colour unwell. A pale silvery light encompasses her form, prismatic colours glint off her skin, as she slows her breathing, her struggle showing in stiffened limbs. Slowly, her colouring improves, and the wound on her neck shrinks, fades away until her flesh is inviolate.

The glow slowly fades away, her strain falling away from her body. She relaxes deeply into the table, her body limp and sweating from her effort.

"How?" Jack asks, looking between the two, searching for answers.

"Later," the Doctor put's him off, looking to the shelf under the treatment table and pulling out a thin blanket. He carefully covers Alexandra as her eyes close in repose. He then moves to the other, grabbing the blanket under Rose and gently covers her as well, stopping to caress her face before he leads Jack out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it's been so long, life occasionally throws damn big obstacles into my path, and since I don't have a Land Rover, I've have to go the long way round. Here's the second chapter. Hope ya like.**

Two hours had passed, the Doctor and Jack had found their way to the dinning area, just one floor above. Large enough to seat over fifty people comfortably, tables for four to eight scattered about, a serving line off to one side, a beverage station against another. The room was barely occupied, a few men sitting at one table, a casually dressed woman wiping down the serving stations as they were between servings.

Sitting at a table set for four, they sit over cups of coffee and tea, respectively, Jack quietly telling stories of his Time Agent days, the Doctor half listening, half worrying.

The door to the outer hallway opens, and Jack watches as their hostess enters, making her way to them.

They both stand as she arrives, questioning looks accompany their gallant reflexes.

She waves them down to sit, taking an empty chair for herself and sighing as she sits. Elbows on the table, cradling her face, she studies the men before her, "Rose should be waking in an hour or so, I checked, everything seems fine. You're lucky, well perhaps she's lucky, she's in good health and strong, there shouldn't be any lasting effects, but she should take it easy for a few days at least."

She gives a small grin at this, "though, knowing you, that might be next to impossible."

Jack smiles in relief, "guess she knows you too well, Doc."

The Doctor gives him a small moue of dissatisfaction then moves to ignore him, his attention full on Alexandra. "We could take a vacation,"

"And end up in the middle of some revolution or invasion?" she gibes.

Jack gives a hoot of amusement, "boy she's got you pegged!"

The Doctor waves him off, and asks, "what's your suggestion, then?" his northern accent stronger at his building embarrassment.

You could take your ease with us for a few days, Vienna's a cultural city, we've got plenty of diversions, no problems with aliens, at least for the moment, and I could use a break from the children."

"Children?" Jack asks, first taking in her lithe form and then looking about for evidence. "You're a mother?"

"Not in the strictest sense of the word," she begins, then looks to the Doctor. "I see you've been keeping things close to the chest, again."

"Not really had time to give a sit-report," he counters, rubbing a hand over his short hair.

"No worries, why don't we wait till Rose has awakened and make a quiet evening of it?" Alexandra suggests.

The Doctor looks to Jack, who answers with a wide smile, "fine by me."

"Till then, gentlemen," she rises and they join her as she gives them a quick nod and leaves.

"So we've an hour to kill, any suggestions?" Jack asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Jack!"

"What?"

"Never mind, might as well tell the Trascopian merge to stop," at this he shakes his head, leading Jack away.

Rose begins to stir, bringing her two men to her side. Bleary vision clears as she looks about, a familiar beak coming into view leading concerned blue eyes. "Hello," she greets him with a wide smile.

Goofy grin answers her, as he brushes a stray blonde lock from her face. "Hello, back. You really scared us this time."

At the reminder, she looks tensely about, finding Jack slightly behind and to the left of the Doctor. She also begins to notice the medical look to the room. Struggling up, she asks, "where are we? What happened?"

"Easy there, you were poisoned. Couldn't help you on the TARDIS, so I brought you here."

Letting the two pair of hands assist her movement, her brow crinkles, not quite able to fathom what he's saying. "Where's here?" she asks again, the room looking quite normal, surprising for a facility that could do something the TARDIS couldn't.

"Vienna, Austria, Earth. A friend of the Doctor's" Jack finally brakes his silence, his relief plain to see.

"A friend?" Rose queries.

As if the words summoned her, the door opens and in walks a beautiful woman, tall and striking, pale skin and black hair complemented by her black leather pants and boots and cobalt blue silk blouse.

"Ah, good, our patient has awoken. How do you feel?" the woman asks with a friendly smile.

"Um, ok, I guess, a little tired," Rose replies.

The woman presses a panel on the side of the bed, reading a small indicator panel as information passes over it. "You seem fine," she announces, "but, as I've already made clear to these two jackanapes, you are going to need a few days of rest and regular meals."

Hearing this, Rose bites her lower lip, relieved to be healthy, but not sure how possible it would be to follow this doctor's orders.

"So, since I cannot be positive these orders will be followed to the letter," at this she gives a wry glance to the men on the other side of Rose, "you three shall be my guests until I release you out of my care. Then you can return to bouncing about the cosmos being chased by heaven knows what creatures the Doctor manages to enrage."

Rose jerks as she realizes this woman at least knows some things about the Doctor. To this she directs her gaze upon him, her questions obvious.

Jack nudges the Doctor out of his reverie, who looks quickly about, then clears his throat, "oh, yes, Rose Tyler, I'd like you to meet one of my oldest friends, Dr. Alexandra Ravenna. She's the one who healed you."

"I figured that, but how come she could when the TARDIS couldn't, I mean, this doesn't look too far into the future?" she gestures about the room.

"It's not. The year is 2006."

"What?" she returns in surprise, "I don't get it, I thought the med-bay in the TARDIS was more advanced then earth medicine of my time?"

"Of course it is!" the Doctor interjects.

"So why did we need to come here?" she turns to the woman, "no offence."

There is a genuine smile of amusement on Alexandra's face, "none taken."

"We had to come here, the only other possibility would have been to return to Galnar IV and I doubt they'd have been very helpful," the Doctor answers.

"Maybe being poisoned is making me thick, but I still don't get it."

"Dr. Ravenna healed you," Jack puts in.

"Yeah, I get that, she's a doctor."

Alexandra finally steps in, "sorry, Rose, you're not being thick, the boys are being imprecise. Not only do I treat people as a doctor, I can heal someone by touch."

Rose sits with her mouth open for a moment, before noticing and closing it with a teeth clacking snap. "Like one of those faith-healers on the telly?"

"Without the religious mummery and the fact that I actually repair the human body, yes."

"Oh, how?" she asks. "I mean, I've never really met anyone who could do that, it's not normal."

Realizing what she'd just said, Rose cover's her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, was that rude? That was rude."

The Doctor sniggers as Jack watches, unsure of their hostess' reaction.

Alexandra keeps her air of calm amusement, waving away Rose's concern. "Not to worry, you're just inquisitive, not a bad trait for travelling with him," she nods towards the Doctor. "To answer your question, it's an ability I've developed and honed over time."

"Time? How old of a friend of the Doctor's are you?"

"Oh, I've known the Doctor a bit over five centuries."

This revelation surprises both Rose and Jack.

"Has it been that long?" the Doctor asks.

"For me it has been, for you?" she shrugs her shoulders.

"That's not possible," Jack interjects.

"Of course it's possible," the Doctor returns.

"But she's human!"

At this, the Doctor and Alexandra look to each other, to the other two and back to one and other. Alexandra shrugs and replies, "not completely."

**And on that note, I end. The chapter, ending the story there would be mean. Buwahahaha! Review, write me a love letter, send me some lilies, what ever. If you like, let me know, if you didn't, tell me and maybe I learn me something.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own any proprietary characters, be they from movie or television, I can only claim Alexandra and her staff at this point. Adding a brief cameo by characters from an AU version of a movie yet to be named, don't want to spoil things. Enjoy the brain candy.**

On the third floor, in a suite with a dark blue door, four people sit around a table, dinner mostly consumed.

The room is comfortably appointed, but with quite expensive taste, a fireplace making a friendly glow, it and the candles at the table making interesting shadows along the walls.

The Doctor's long arms move above him as he stretched languidly. "Ali, that was beyond great."

"I wish I could take credit for it, I'm lucky with my choice of chefs, If it was up to me, we'd be eating take-away."

"Oh?", Jack inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm completely hopeless in the kitchen," she rises, moving to a side table, pulling out a bottle of brandy, she turns, raising the bottle and raises an eyebrow in question. Two nods from the men and a "no thanks," from Rose, Alexandra pours three glasses.

Replacing the bottle stopper, she carries the glasses over to the sitting area in front of the fireplace.

The others join her, the Doctor and Rose sit on the burgundy leather sofa, Jack chooses a matching wingback chair, she hands out the drinks and takes the other chair for herself.

They all settle, as Alexandra takes a deep breath smooth's a hand down her blouse, and begins, "I first met the Doctor in Venice in 1594. As per Doctor standard, there'd been a spot of trouble with a local official kidnapping young women and sending them east into slavery."

She looks to the Doctor, a question on her face, "I'm not sure what he thought of me, at the time; I felt he was a bit of an odd noodle, but quite brilliant," here she stops, letting the Doctor answer.

"At the time?" at her nod, he continues, "you were quite young for your position, beautiful," to which she nods her thanks at his compliment, "impetuous, but bright."

"A young girl for whom I was responsible had been lured into captivity," Alexandra states.

"We sort of bumped into one and other around the canals, Ali was quite a sight, hair bulled back, wearing trousers," the Doctor puts in.

"Almost ran you through," she chuckles, "never safe to sneak up on someone sneaking around."

Rose snickers, Jack grins, each picturing the scene. Jack thinks for a moment and asks, "wasn't it dangerous then for a woman to be wearing pants, much less carrying a sword?"

The Doctor laughs, "only for someone trying to interdict Ali, she's one of the best swordsmen I've ever seen, and I've been around."

"You've killed before?" Rose asks, n a small voice.

Seriousness cover's Alexandra's face, "yes, I have, I grew up in a different time, but I've never killed capriciously and never have I killed when there's been another option."

Silence creeps into the room, each thinking their own thoughts; the Doctor looks bleak, Rose is a trifle scared and judgemental, as Jack just nods his head, understanding.

Alexandra sits in sad reverie, occasionally sipping her brandy.

Sitting this way for a few minutes, until Rose breaks the quiet, "different time? I thought 16th century Italy was fairly civilized."

It was. Especially compared to 13th century Hungary."

Jack starts forward, you're eight hundred years old?"

"A bit over, from what I can tell, I was born at the dark of the year, in the year of our most sacred lord, 1288."

"So you're an alien?" Rose questions, her eyes wide.

"No, I'm one hundred percent terrestrial in origin."

"But you can't be human, not at your age and then there's the healing," Rose looks to both men to bolster her argument.

"I think I'm what you'd call a kink in the evolutionary tail."

"Are you saying you're homo superior?" Jack probes.

"No, more like a side off-shoot, while successful as an individual, I doubt I'd make a viable species. For one, I've yet to reproduce."

"You said something about children, earlier," Jack injects.

"Yes, in a sort of round-about way. My father was the first of us to be different, he somehow survived an influenza epidemic in the village where he was a warlord. His DNA became mutagenic, and he passed this on to his offspring, including three sons, my much older brothers."

She pauses, taking a swallow and figuring how to continue, "Two of them became infected, their DNA altered, they became able to infect others, changing them as well, on a cellular level."

"Changed? How?" Jack demands.

"One brother became the progenitor of what you know as vampires, the other of werewolves."

Rose and Jack begin laughing, all this time to weave a story winding them up. The laughing continues until they slowly notice the seriousness from both Alexandra and the Doctor.

Alexandra rises from the comfortable wing-back chair, walks to the phone at the desk across the room picks up the receiver, making a call. She connects with someone, a man by the muffled tone, "Michael? Can you send Stephan and Selene to me? No, there's not an emergency, so, no rush. Thanks."

As this continues, Rose leans into the Doctor and asks, "she can't be serious, can she?"

The Doctor raises a placating hand and whispers, "just wait."

After a few moments, there's a knock at the door. Alexandra answers it, waving in the two she requested.

The man, under six foot, with blonde, surfer looks, wearing jeans and a jumper, the woman, with black, shoulder- length hair and skin even paler than Alexandra's, in a lovely black dress.

She makes introductions, "Doctor, Rose Tyler, Captain Jack Harkness, this is Stephan and Selene."

They exchange nods and hellos', Rose gives a small wave and Jack a big grin when he notices just how beautiful and handsome the two are.

"You've heard me speak of the Doctor. These other are his most trusted companions. They have some doubts about the veracity of Sanctuary. If you wouldn't mind?"

The woman steps forward, tucking the dark tresses falling into her face out of the way.

Jack and Rose watch as her eyes go from brown to blue, a big smile makes her lengthening canines quite visible.

She steps back, a quiet swish of her dress, while Rose's and Jack's faces drop.

Stephan moves forward, toe's his feet out of his loafers, and removes his stripped jumper. His face grimaces, his form stiffens and begins to creak, his body lengthens and changes, and in a moment, a large, bipedal beast with slightly darker fur than his blonde hair stands before them , a deep rumble issues from his chest.

Not realizing, Rose moves into the Doctor's side, eyes bigger than saucers.

"Thank you both," Alexandra gestures Selene to lead Stephan off, "don't forget to go by the kitchen," she admonishes as they leave.

"Well, well," Jack begins.

"Jack!" the Doctor warns.

"Selene is in a very committed relationship, so hands off, if you'd like to keep your gizzard on the inside, Stephan, however, is a free agent.

A thoughtful look crosses Jack's matinee-idol, good looks, at the news, the Doctor gives a heavy sigh while Rose looks surprised.

She shakes her head to clear it, "so those are the children?"

"Among others, yes,. The vampires and lycans have literally been at each others' throats for centuries, here they can exist without the threat of harm or violence.

"Your brothers?" Jack asks.

One imprisoned, one in seclusion, the youngest, ancestor to generations of seemingly normal humans.

"Why?" Rose asks.

"Why, Sanctuary?" Alexandra returns.

"Yes, it seems like such a huge responsibility."

"It is. But it's mine. Mine and my family's. My father has spent centuries, and fortunes, cleaning up after my brothers messes. I've been here for those who've chosen to get out of their predestined roles."

Rose shakes her head, so much information to wrap her mind around, and as she tries, a yawn surprises her.

Alexandra smiles, "sorry, Rose, it's been a long day for you." She stands, pointing at the opposite wall, where there's a door, deeper into the suite, "there are two rooms through there. Jack, if you'd like, the green room across the hall is available. Sleep as late as you need." She places her now-empty glass on the drink table and leaves the room.

The Doctor rises from the couch, offering a hand to Rose. She takes it and he helps her up, pushing her towards the bedroom door. He stops as Rose exits, and looks to the man deep in thought by the fire, "Jack?"

He looks up, seeing the question on the Doctor's face, I'm going to head across the hall."

"Good night, then," he turns, and goes through the door.

Jack stretches, and rubs his face, it had really been a long day, filled with wrenching emotions, and so much had changed. Who knew such interesting people existed on this planet so far back from his time. He slowly rises and leaves, moving across the hall and into the smaller, but just as nicely furnished rooms.

Finding the huge poster bed, he pulls back the soft cotton sheets, completely strips and slips between the fabric, nearly falling asleep as soon as his head hit's the pillow.

After perusing the large assortment of sleeping clothes, Rose picks a comfortable pair of pants and matching tee shirt with a dozen small penguins playing football.

She steps out of the bedroom and softly opens the door to the Doctor's room, finding him positioned over-top the bedclothes, only divested of his leather jacket, negligently tossed over an armchair.

Arms crossed up behind his head, eyes unfocused, staring off into the distance, he does not react until he hears "Doctor," interrupting his thoughts. "Rose," he recognizes, sitting up and patting the bed.

She pads over, flinging herself up on the bed, leaning onto one hip, the other leg dangling over the side, as she bites her lip in the way that only indicates her uncertainty and shyness.

Seeing this, the Doctor lights up with his goofy smile, one of her favourites, takes her hand in his and gently asks, "What's the matter, Rose?"

Just as softly, Rose questions, "are we safe here?"

The Doctor smiles at her fear, but not in a belittling manner, "quite safe, only the TARDIS is safer."

Seeing her doubt, he continues, "I'd trust her with my life," his face sobers, "and I have. Ali was the first," here he stops, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"What?" questions Rose, concerned by how quickly his demeanour altered.

A slight shift in posture and a deep sigh give him enough psychological distance to gather his statement, "Alexandra was the first person I saw after the…..time war ended. She kept me…," he stops, unable to continue.

Rose impulsively hugs him. After a few moments of silence, "I'm glad," she whispers in one of his large ears, "we both owe her a lot." Tightening the squeeze, pulls back an inch, searching his blue eyes, "are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah," he answers in a deep exhale. "I'll be fine," he finishes, dropping his forehead to hers, giving a small nudge in companionship, "go get some sleep."

After a caring and concerned once-over, Rose gives him a wide grin as she slips out of the bed and heads off to hers.

"Rose," he interrupts, she turns to look, the question all but written on her face.

"Thank you."

She just gives a giant smile and blows an air kiss his way before leaving him to his memories.

**As the puppies take over the earth, making people their slaves and being a feline is illegal…..opps, wrong cross-over. snicker **

**The legal stuff…I don't own anyone from the movie Underworld, tho that would be cool, I just occasionally play with some of their stuff, cuz it's insured and mine ain't, no, that tisn't it, I just like to incorporate some of their characters for satirical and non-profit purposes purely for the entertainment of myself and other peeps. **

**Neither do I own or profit in any remuneratory manner of Doctor Who, but if I did, oh, If I did….**

**So, review already, it's not like giving blood, unless you to, and it's a darned sight easier than rocket science, tho that's pretty cool, too. **


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